One dead, 33 injured in protests

Apr 18, 2011

ONE person died, while 33 people were rushed to various medical facilities after they sustained injuries during the second week of the walk-to-work demonstrations.

ONE person died, while 33 people were rushed to various medical facilities after they sustained injuries during the second week of the walk-to-work demonstrations.

The injured included two pregnant women. Francis Mugisha, 27, died when he inhaled too much tear gas.

The tear gas was fired by the Police to disperse a crowd that had gathered at Kasangati Police Station where the FDC leader, Dr. Kizza Besigye, had been detained.

Mugisha, who was walking to Kasangati Health Centre for treatment, was caught up in the fracas, fainted and died on reaching the health facility where he was rushed by sympathisers.

The Uganda Red Cross secretary general, Michael Nataka, said yesterday that 15 people were injured in Kasangati, another 12 people were referred to Mulago Hospital, while two were admitted to a health centre in Kireka. Four people were hit by stray bullets in Mukono town.

One person was shot in the head and was rushed to Mulago Hospital, while two people hit in the legs and one in the arm were admitted to Mukono Health Centre.
Nataka said the injuries ranged from bullet shots, stones, and too much inhalation of teargas. Two unidentified pregnant women were among the injured in yesterday’s fracas.
Among the people arrested were political party leaders, Nobert Mao (DP), Olaara Otunnu (UPC) and Dr Kizza Besigye (FDC).
Otunnu was picked from Lugogo by-pass along Jinja road together with several opposition leaders as they matched to town. Otunnu was arrested along with his party officials; Chris Opoka and David Pulkol.
FDC officials, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, Anne Mugisha, Cecil Ogwal and Sarah Eperu were arrested in a stone’s throw distance from where UPC group was at Lugogo near Shoprite mall.
Mean while, military Police was deployed in areas of Kireka, Bweyogerere, suburbs of Wakiso district, after rioters blocked roads, threw stones and beat people who were using taxis to go for work.
This followed the arrest of Kyadondo East MP-elect, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda and mayoral candidate for Kira Town Town council, Ben Mayanja in Kireka. The Police fire teargas to disperse them.
Police spokes person Edith Nabakoba said that 41 people were arrested in areas of Kireka and Bweyogerere on suspicion that they were involved in causing chaos.
In Mukono, over 25 people were arrested for allegedly participating in “unlawful demonstration.” Riots started at around 3:30pm when the gang of youths started closing Mukono-Kayunga road and setting bon-fires in the middle.
Police confronted them and started firing tear gas in them. Protesters started running while throwing stones towards the anti-riot police in return.
In Masaka the police and the army foiled the ‘walk-to-work’ demonstration. Security personnel totting assault rifles were deployed heavily in Masaka town, and rioters resorted to the hide and seek games with police.
At least 10 protestors holding placards walked between Nyendo and Nakayiba but were intercepted at Dorris Discotheque before they entered Masaka town. They ran towards Kirumba and Katwe zones as anti riot police pursued them in battles between 10 am to 2pm
In Bushenyi district, the police and UPDF soldiers were on high alert but the day passed incident free as no protestors surfaced.
Ends
By Henry Mukasa, Brian Mayanja, Henry Nsubuga, Dismus Buregyeya


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